Kriti Mehrotra
Directed by Mark Lewis, Netflix’s ‘Stolen: Heist of the Century’ is a documentary exploring the February 2003 robbery in Antwerp, Belgium’s diamond district that left the world baffled. That’s because a group of Italian thieves managed to break into a vault protected by 10 layers of security without any destruction or violence before walking away with jewels, gems, and cash worth at least $00 million. At the center of it all was alleged mastermind Leonardo Notarbartolo, but his loving wife Adriana Crudo was also initially arrested despite not being involved in the ordeal in any manner.
Adriana Crudo and Leonardo Notarbartolo Are Childhood Sweethearts
It was reportedly back when Adriana Crudo was merely 14-15 years old that she first came across Palermo, Italy, native Leonardo Notarbartolo, just for them to soon fall head over heels. The truth is their love gradually grew from an innocent thing to a very real emotion, resulting in them starting to see an almost idyllic future together that involved not only a cozy, stable home but also a family of their own. Therefore, the moment her beau decided what he wanted to do with his life – thieve for a living – he let her know the truth, according to the aforementioned original production.
“I said, ‘Look, I’m a little crazy. Be aware that I might end up in trouble,” Leonardo asserted before adding that while Adriana did stick by him through thick and thin, they kept this part of his life separate. In other words, he never once involved her in any of his schemes or even let her know what he was planning to do and when, which continued even after they tied the knot in January 1974. He simply wanted to keep his wife safe at all times – he did not want her to worry, and he also didn’t ever want her to be in a position where she could be incriminated on any criminal charge.
Therefore, from what we can tell, although Leonardo as well as his accomplices spent 27 months planning for the February 15/16, 2003, heist in Antwerp’s Diamond District, Adriana was in the dark about it all. That’s why, as per reports, she did call her husband while his team was in the middle of the robbery to ask what was so important that he couldn’t even be in town/at home for Valentine’s Day. He did try to make it up to her a few days later by asking for her company while he traveled from their base in Turin to Antwerp “for work” again, unaware they would both be arrested there.
Adriana Crudo Has Stood By Leonardo Notarbartolo Through Thick and Thin
While Leonardo was arrested in the Diamond District itself on February 21, 2003, Adriana was taken into custody from outside the apartment he had temporarily taken up on rent as a safe house for the heist. They were both charged in connection with this incident, shortly following which they both pleaded their innocence by vehemently denying any involvement in the massive theft in a local court. They were subsequently held for two more weeks before being released pending trial, but the charges against Adriana were ultimately dismissed. In 2005, Leonardo was extradited, convicted, and sentenced to a decade in a Belgian prison for being the ring leader of the infamous $100 million robbery. He was also ordered to pay a fine of €1 million ($1.16 million) and an additional €4.5 million ($5.2 million) in damages to the civil plaintiffs alongside his three co-defendants.
Leonardo was released under supervision upon serving one-third of his term in 2009, but was arrested again in 2011 for violating the terms of his parole, resulting in him going back to serve out the rest of his time. He was let go in 2017, and his wife, Adriana, and their family have actually managed to make things work. In other words, they remain happily married to this day as not only residents of Turin, Italy, but also the kind, caring, and dedicated parents and grandparents to their brood. The couple has truly stood by one another no matter what life has thrown at them, indicating they share a deep level of mutual love, respect, trust, and understanding between them, which is all that matters in the long run. Coming to Adriana’s personal standing, now in her early 70s, it appears as if she is currently enjoying the comfort of retirement alongside her husband to the best of her abilities.
Adriana isn’t taking life too seriously; instead, she is undertaking new experiences, exploring different cultures, and spending as much quality time with her loved ones as possible. The latter includes her twin sister, too. Whether it be attending social events, going out to dine, or roaming around the beautiful, historic streets of different parts of Italy – Palermo, Imperia, Borgo Parrini, Castella, and Sestriere, among more – she is doing it all these days. Adriana also continues to support Leonardo through all his endeavors, and they now share a really light-hearted romance wherein neither is too shy or private about showing the other off. We should even mention that the former convict forgot their 50th wedding anniversary back in early 2024, just for him to make up for it by getting down on one knee and proposing to his wife in the middle of a shopping mall.
Read More: Ferdinando Finotto: How Did the Antwerp Diamond Heist Robber Die?
